Piano construction



March 21, 1950 Filed June 26, 1946 D. G. CLINE PIANO CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 22 fifLfiZ/FT 6 CA W:

[N V EN TOR.

Patented Mar. 21 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PIANO CONSTRUCTION :Delbert'G. Cline, New Castle, Ind, assignor to 'H. & A. Selmer, Inc, NewCastle, Ind.,a corporation of Indiana Application June 2.6, 1946, Serial No. 679,431

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in piano construction, and morepa'rticularly to'pianos of the upright or spinet type, although it is also applicable-te grand pianos.

The primary object of the inventionis to provide a piano constructionin which the various parts, including'th'ecase or housing, may bepreformed and then fitted or-secured together'to permit mass production, reduce manufacturing costs, and-to provide forstandardization of different pianos of the same type and construction.

A furtherobject is to provide a pianoin 'which substantially all stresses are "taken by a metal frame and very little stress is taken by the casing.

A further object is to provlde'a piano construction in whichan upright metal frame is provided which has a forwardlyproj ecting portionadapted to support a keyboard and which also supports the pedal unit, wherein the supporting legs and castors for theconstruction-are secured directly to the frame.

A further object is to provide a'pianoconstruction in which a preformed case is fitted over a preformed interior construction to be supported thereby in 'a manner substantially 'free from stress.

A further object is to provide a frame member having a rigid marginal portion "reinforced by cross pieces and'b'uilt into aunit from a plurality of steel structural "members which are welded or otherwise secured together't-o form a strong rigid unit.

A further object is to provide a piano construction in which the entire mechanism of the piano is Lpreassembled and is then fitted into a preformed case.

A further object is toprovide a piano having a soundboard preformed as a unit and comprising a rigid flat frame anda woodpanel mounted in the frame and held thereby in desired crowned Shape, which soundboard is mounted as .a unit upon ametal frame and isremovable therefrom without requiring disassembly of the string mounting pins.

A furtherobject is to provide apianoconstruction having a rigid metal frameinto whichone or morepin blocks fit removably.

A further object is to provide a piano =with a rigid unitary frameadapted-to sustain all-playing and tuning stresses applied "to the piano and including means'by which all mechanical' par-ts of the piano are supported independentlyof'the case, said l'frame-beingmounted onsupporting means which form thesole piano supports.

Other objects will be apparent from the'following specification.

'In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an end'view of a piano with parts of the case broken away and illustrated in section.

Fig.2 is 'a'front perspective view of the piano frame.

Fig. 3 is are'ar perspective view of'the piano frame.

Fig.4 is'a vertical sectional view of the piano frame and associated parts taken on line '44 ofiFig; 2.

Fig.5 is a fragmentaryperspective viewof the soundboard with parts broken away and illustrated in section.

"Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferredembodiment of the invention, the numeral If! designates an upright rectangular metal supporting frame which is enclosed in a suitable case '12 and from'which projects a frame portion 14 supported at its forward ends by piano legs [6 and'adapted to serve as a support for the key action designatedgenerally at 18.

The construction of the frame is best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 and in the embodiment illustrated comprises a marginal frame portion formed from two uprightend members of selected crosssectional shape and here shown as being of T- section, a bottom frame member 22 also shown as being of 'T-section, and a top frame element. Thetopframe elementpreferably includes a wide verticalplate 2 l'seciu'ed to the end members, as at the inwardlyprojecting flanges thereofland is reinforced by a-m'ember 26 along its lower edge having a'fiange or web fromthe rear face thereof. The plate 24 is positioned intermediate the front andrearedges of 'the'frame uprights 20. A web 28 projectsrearwardly from the plate 24 at its upper edge'an'd across'plate 30 projects rearwai'dly-from the plate 24 in a vertical position intermediate the sides of the frame and extends between the uppenhorizontal web of the angle 16 and the top web 28. The various frame elements 2-ll to 30,inclus'ive, are suitably secured together as by-welding, riveting or other like means.

A diagonally extending angle iron 32 with its web 34 positioned lowermost is secured within the frame forwardly of the center web of the bottom framemember 22 and one side frame member 20. The member 32 mounts'a plurality of longitudinally spaced string anchoring pins'Z-JB.

A horizontal'angle member 38 spans the frame uprights 20 at approximately keyboard height and the forwardly projecting keyboard supporting portion M of the frame constitutes forwardly projecting horizontal bars connected at their outer ends by a cross bar 42 and each supported by a brace 44 extending diagonally downwardly and rearwardly from an intermediate portion thereof for rigid anchorage with the uprights 20 therebelow.

A plurality of braces interconnect the various parts of the frame and are positioned and proportioned in such a manner that the various strains and stresses applied to the frame by the piano mechanism are proportionately reinforced thereby. These braces are preferably located at or forward of the plane of the plate 24 so that the rearmost portion of the frame is unobstructed, for purposes to be set forth. The braces include a brace 48 extending from the bottom frame element 22 upwardly to the plate 24 at an intermediate position thereof, the lower end of the brace 44 being located adjacent the lower end of the treble string plate 32. A pair of braces 48 are arranged in crossed relation to the brace 46, one thereof being secured at its upper end to plate 24 and adjacent its lower end to the horizontal cross brace 38, and the other thereof being secured at its lower end to the bottom frame member 22 and at its upper end to the horizontal frame 38. At a point intermediate the upper end of the brace 46 and the opposite upright 20, as viewed in Fig. 2, is mounted a substantially upright brace 50 secured at its upper end to plate 24 and adjacent its lower end to the horizontal brace 38. A diagonal brace 52 projects upwardly from the end of the bottom frame 22 opposite that at which brace 46 is anchored and inclines inwardly to be secured at its upper end to the horizontal brace 38. Another brace 54 is anchored to the right-hand upright 20, as viewed in Fig. 2, at a point just below the upper end of the treble string pin anchoring member 32 and extends diagonally inwardly therefrom to be anchored to an intermediate portion of the brace 52.

A bass string mounting member 56 preferably of angle section is mounted upon the bottom frame member 22 and is positioned between the lowermost brace 48 and the brace 52 and has anchorage with the brace 54 at its upper end. The face plate portion 58 of the member 56 is positioned in a plane adjacent the front edges of the marginal frame members 20 and 22 and forwardly of the plane in which the pin carrying flange of the treble string pin mount 32 is located. Plate 56 mounts a plurality of forwardly projecting string anchoring pins 60. Suitable gussets or other reinforcing members 62 may be provided wherever required to give the construc- 1.

tion of the frame the strength which is required. Casters 64 may be mounted upon the bottom of the lower frame member 22, and the front legs 16 which support the projecting portion M of the frame have castors 66 secured at their lower ends. The bottom member 22 of the frame mounts a plurality of forwardly projecting members 68 by means of which the pedals ll] of the piano are supported. The frame also supports the associated pedal actuated mechanism (not shown).

The soundboard 72 of the piano construction preferably comprises a panel preferably formed of wood, which is mounted within a marginal frame comprising cleats 14 secured at opposite faces thereof and to each other. The marginal frame members 14 provide a frame which lies in a flat plane, and the sounding board is so secured therebetween as to be bowed or crowned at its center, being held in that predetermined crowned position by the marginal frame member 14. The frame members 14 are provided with a plurality of apertures 16 which extend therethrough and through the intervening panel 12 for purposes to be described. The construction of the sounding board is best illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. At its front or convex face the sounding board 12 has fitted thereto a treble string bridge l8 and a bass string bridge 80, each in proper position for its intended purpose. However, it will be understood that any soundboard construction found suitable or desirable may be used. The soundboard is preferably preformed as a unit, as illustrated in Fig. 5, and the bridges I8 and may be fitted thereto after the soundboard is assembled and before assembly of the piano as a unit. The soundboard is fitted into a recess provided at the rear of the frame [0 and defined by the frame uprights 20, the frame bottom 22, and the channel 26. The socket or recess so provided is free and clear of all the cross braces and other parts which span the frame. The frame is secured within this recess by bolts or other securing means 82, as illustrated in Fig. 4, and is preferably mounted by them in a manner permitting removal thereof if necessary.

The two sockets defined at the back of the top plate 24 between the member 26 and the top member 28 and separated by the member 30, each mount a pin block 84. String anchoring pins 86 pass through openings 88 formed in the plate 24 and into the string blocks 84. A bass bridge 90 is mounted upon a plate 92 secured at the front of the plate 24 so that bass strings 94, which are anchored to the bass anchoring pins 60 on the member 56, will be located adjacent the front edge of the frame assembly by the bridge 80 and the bridge 90. The treble strings 96, which are anchored to the pins 36 on the member 32, pass over the bridge 18 and over a bridge 98 upon the plate 24 and are anchored at their upper ends by the string pins 86.

It will be observed that by virtue of the fact that the frame is preformed as a unit and that the soundboard is likewise preformed as a unit, these parts can be constructed quickly by the use of suitable jigs for accurate standardization and uniformity thereof, and likewise that the bridges l8 and 80 can be constructed by the use of patterns or jigs to fit accurately a standard soundboard 12. The assembly of the mechanism of the piano, including the application of the soundboard and the string bridges in place upon the frame and the connection of the strings in proper relation, can all proceed while the frame is in the exposed condition illustrated in Fig. 2, assuming, of course, that the supporting legs H3 or other means are provided to permit the frame to extend upright during the operation, although this is not essential since the parts may be assembled while the frame is in a horizontal position. The pedal unit is likewise applied to the frame while in this preassembled condition and the key action [8 can be aplied to its supporting frame portion I4. Consequently, the operation of assembly of the piano is facilitated and it is not necessary to fit the individual parts of each individual piano to each other because of the standardization of the parts which permits all cooperating parts when assembled to fit in proper operative relation. The piano case may be constructed as an entirely separate unit and, when the piano mechanism as aforedescribed has been assembled, that mechanism may be fitted into the case and secured in proper place by a few securing members (not shown) as will be obvious. This facilitatesthe' manufacture of the piano and the manufacture of the case and avoids the necessity of fitting individual parts of the frame and the case to each other as has been conventional practice heretofore. Note that the case, being supported by the frame around which itflts, is not required to take any of the stress imposed by the tightening of the piano strings and by other factors and can serve primarily and simply'as adecorative sheath and'as. a tonech-amberz-in conjunction with thesounding board and associated parts.

.Theconstruction of a piano as above described has a substantial advantage from a manufacturing standpoint by permitting at least a measure of interchangeability ,of .parts and by substantially reducing the time consuming custom fittlngofthe individual :parts of a piano which requires-workmen ,of high skill .and is quiteexpensive.- proved and its tonal values more closely standardized by reason of the construction. Also, the repair of the piano is facilitated by virtue of the construction and arrangement of parts and the removal of the soundboard as a unit without disassembly of other parts of the piano. The pin blocks likewise are removable from the frame. The separate construction of the bass and treble bridges and their standardization made possible by the standardization of the soundboard is a substantial advantage because the bridges may have a free bearing with the soundboard to be pressed thereagainst by the piano strings. Of greater importance, the uniformity of the shape of these bridges makes it possible to design bridges to give a uniform down pressure of the strings of the soundboard. This is of substantial advantage with respect to the operating characteristics and tonal values produced by the piano.

In addition to the advantages above mentioned,

the forwardly projecting portion [4 of the frame I has several other notable and important advantages. Primary among these is the increased rigidity obtained at the key mounting portion of the piano as compared to the conventional keyboard construction heretofore commonly used in piano constructions. In other words, the frame portion 14 can form a rigid key frame. This permits substantial simplification of the means for mounting the keys, for example, the elimination of the conventional key bed and thereby avoiding danger of warping of the key supporting means which destroys the uniformity of touch of a piano. Thus, one or more members 99 extending across and secured to the frame portion I4 can be incorporated on the key frame to provide the necessary support for the keys and the parts associated therewith. If a dust shield across the bottom of the key frame is desired, the case may include it without requiring the sustalning thereby of any stresses, all of which are taken by the frame portion l4 and members 99.

The horizontal member 38 of the frame has a number of advantages. It serves as a stabilizer to resist buckling of the piano frame. It serves as the support for the rear end of the key frame, that is, it is the means which interconnects the key frame with the main frame. It can also serve to provide, as an integral part of the piano frame, a support upon which the piano action is mounted independently of the case. In this connection, it is possible to select the vertical position of the action relative to the level of the piano keys within at least a limited range de- The piano construction itself ,is ,ime pending .upon the depth of vertical ortion of member 38. However, location of the piano action within this range is not essential sinceait obvious that anadditional member (not shown) may .span the sides of and be supp'ortedby the:

While applicant prefers to construct his framefrom steelstructural elements, such as standardangles, T-bars, tubes, bars and the like, or from steel structural elements ofspecial cross sectionalshapes, which are :welded or otherwise secured together in a rigid integral unit, the invention-is not limited thereto and it is possible to fabricate the frame from stamped parts having contours as may be desired for convenience in location of parts and for requisite strength at heavily stressed parts. A further alternative is to cast thefrarne as an integral unit.

Furthermore, the arrangement of the parts as herein illustrated and described will be understood to be illustrative only, and not limiting, and that other arrangements necessary or desirable to meet special conditions or to provide the same advantages and functions mentioned above in a different manner may be used. Thus, while the invention has been illustrated as applied to an upright piano, it is also applicable to a grand piano by changing the shape of the frame as required and by making such other changes as are required to adapt the frame for positioning thereof horizontally and at an elevation above the supporting surface, which changes will include the extension of the key frame longitudinally from the main frame and the support of the main frame upon legs or uprights.

Thus, while the construction herein described and claimed is preferred, it will be understood that the invention may take other forms within the scope of the claims and the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A metal frame for use in an upright piano, comprising bottom and side marginal portions having inwardly projecting coplanar web portions, a wide string pin plate spanning the top of said frame in substantially coplanar relation to said webs and having rearwardly projecting flanges at its upper and lower margins and cooperating with said plate and side portions to define a recess adapted to receive a pin block, said bottom and side margins and said lowermost flange outlining a sounding board receiving recess rearwardly of said web portions, string anchor plates carried by said frame and reinforcing members spanning said frame, said anchor plates and reinforcing members being positioned forwardly of said sounding board recess.

2. A metal frame for use in an upright piano, comprising bottom and side marginal portions and a string pin plate portion between the upper ends of said side portions, string anchor plates carried by the marginal portions spaced below said pin plate, reinforcing bars secured to and bracing said marginal portions and anchor plates, said frame having transverse continuous margina1 flanges projecting rearwardly relative to said plate portion, anchor plate and bars to define a plurality of substantially coplanar unobstructed pocket portions at the rear part thereof, a rigid horizontal key support projecting forwardly from said side marginal portions, and legs supporting the front end of said key support, said marginal portions, plates, bars, legs and support constitut-.

ing a rigid preformed unit.

3. A metal frame for use in an upright piano, comprising bottom and side marginal portions and astring pin plate portion between the upper ends of said side portions intermediate the front and rear planes of said frame, string anchor plates carried by the marginal portions spaced below and substantially the same plane as said pin plate, reinforcing bars secured to and bracingsaid marginal portions and anchor plates, and positioned between the planes of said plates and the front plane of said frame, said frame having unobstructed pocket portions at the rear part thereof, a rigid horizontal key support carried by and. projecting forwardly from said side marginal portions, said marginal portions, plates, bars and support constituting a rigid preformed unit, and supporting uprights secured to the outer end of said key support.

DELBER'I' G. CLINE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the. of this patent:

UNITED STA'IES PATENTS Number- Re. 29,144 509,111 1,699,561 1,804,568 2,070,391 2,174,074 2,237,695

1& umber Name Date Lundholm Oct. 27, 1936 Ziegler Nov. 21, 1893 Collen Jan. 2, 1929' Schmude May 12, 1931 Bilhuber Feb. 9,1937 Socin Sept. 26, 1939 Bell Apr. 8, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date reat Britain May 13, 1885' Great Britain May 10, 1893' Great Britain Aug. 31, 1931 France June 30, 1943 

